The Honeymoon Suite
by Lara-Van
Summary: A partial re-write of the episode 'Honeymoon in Metropolis'. Now Complete!
1. Confused

**N/A: ** I'm sure there are zillions out there, but here's another 'Honeymoon in Metropolis' fic. It just always bothers me that there could have been SO many interesting complications that could have arisen during Lois and Clark's joint surveillance, that were so poorly addressed in the episode. As with most stories, this one comes with an early revelation... actually, if you think about it, **two** early revelations. I made a lot of changes to both the plot line and some of the dialogue. Also, I've glossed over a lot of the stuff to do with Thaddeus Rorck. After all, we ALL know the evil plot... I don't need to go over it again with you. I'm only including the parts relevant to my retelling.

Disclaimer: Although I really, truly wish I owned Superman (and all related characters), unfortunately I'm stuck without either a contract of ownership or the real thing. sigh I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

* * *

Lois sighed comfortably as she slipped into the hot water in the jacuzzi. Settling back, she swirled the bubbles around and smiled to herself. Who were they to say she didn't know how to relax?

Suddenly, the phone rang. Without bothering to dry her hands, Lois reached across lazily and picked up the receiver. "Hello?" she said.

"Working hard?" came Clark's patronizing voice. Lois had to work to restrain a groan. Of _course_ Clark would call her at a time like this... "No, I'm _relaxing_," she snapped back, but there was no real fight in her. Like she'd said, after all- relaxing. No need to let Clark get under her skin...

Too late. His next comment had her hackles up. "Well, Clark, maybe you should just--" "Ah, ah. Temper temper, Lois," he said cheekily. She could picture him smiling that thousand-megawatt farmboy smile, and couldn't help grinning herself. Even when he was being absolutely infuriating, Clark always put her at ease. Not that he needed to know that, of course.

"How's the bed?" Clark asked casually. There was a faint inflection in his voice that made her face flush as she glanced across the room at the huge round bed. "The-- the bed?" she asked, trying to kick and pry her mind out of the gutter she suddenly found it in.

"It's great," she replied half-heartedly. What was wrong with her? Or, more importantly, what was wrong with Clark Kent, that he could twist her into a reaction like that? It really pissed her off.

"You know, Lois. I really didn't think you had it in you." "What?" "Spending an entire weekend just... relaxing. I'm impressed." Lois narrowed her eyes. How did this hack manage to worm past every barrier she put up, calling her best bluffs?

"Well, Clark, is there a point to this phone call, or did you just call to annoy me?" she asked. "Annoy the eternally patient and zen-like Lois Lane? Me?" he quipped. "Don't patronize me, Kent," she said angrily. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to get back to _relaxing_."

She hung up the phone, and slipped underwater. Leave it to Clark Kent to officially destroy her nice calming weekend. She let out her breath in a rush, and the bubbles spiraled upward. Popping back above the surface, she got out of the jacuzzi. The water was getting cold anyway.

She slipped into her silk bathrobe and went to curl up on the bed. Flipping on the TV, she scanned through the channels. Sappy movie... sappier movie... the Leonardo di Caprio version of Romeo and Juliet... all this romantic crap.

Lois turned off the TV. If she watched any of the overly gooey, lovey-dovey options the television offered, her weekend really would be ruined completely. Now, if there were someone else to watch it with her, it would be a totally different story...

But who? Lois wondered. Who did she want here? She sighed. Why were men so eternally confusing?

She didn't want Lex Luthor, she knew that. The man was certainly rich and quite handsome. In fact, he was more or less the type of guy she'd be quite willing to be swept off her feet by, but there was always a faint... something... on the edge of her mind that made her wonder about him. Something about his charm, his philanthropy, the attention he lavished on her, felt false. That, of course, made her even less willing to listen to Clark's warnings about him. Clark...

Was it possible she wished Clark were here? He certainly was easy on the eyes... No, that _couldn't_ be possible. Clark was her partner, her friend. If she was totally honest with herself, he was her _best_ friend. Quite possibly her only friend. Unless you counted Jimmy. And there was that frustrating habit of his of getting through all her defenses. He didn't take any crap from her. Or, more accurately, he took her abuse and then shot back at her. He called her bluffs, stripped away all her petty insecurities, and saw right through what she was saying to what she really meant.

But neither Clark nor Lex had anything on Superman. Now _there_ was a man worth spending time and heartache on! Every bit as handsome as Clark, certainly more so than Lex, so kind and eternally gentle, despite the power he held... Clark and Lex weren't safe to have feelings for. They were only human, they were just men. Like Claude. Men betrayed you, made you feel like you were the most important thing in their world... and then they ripped away everything you had that they could use. But Superman was safe. He was steady and sure- a man who was too simply _good_ to take advantage of her like that. He was more than human, he was safe to adore. _Safe_, she emphasized in her mind.

But then, the idea of Superman sitting next to her watching TV, wasn't really a picture that came easily to mind. Neither was the idea of Lex doing something so... normal. She and Clark had spent many evenings together in the past weeks. That in itself was odd. Sure, he was her partner, but Lois had always kept work and her personal life strictly separated, ever since Claude. Lois threw herself back onto the bed and sighed. She could ponder this later. For now, she could really use some shut-eye.

Several hours, Lois looked over at the clock on the nightstand, and groaned. It was two a.m., and she still hadn't been able to put her earlier thoughts out of her head.

Sitting up, she glanced at the phone next to the clock. When her thoughts got so confused like this- which, she thought smugly, wasn't often- she really needed a confidante. Any other day she would have called Clark; he wouldn't mind being woken up. But Clark was half the problem.

Cat Grant would probably know the answer to the questions that kept chasing themselves around in her brain. And Cat was a surprisingly good listener, if she could quit needling Lois for five seconds. But her relationship with Cat was rocky at best.

Then there was her cousin, Chloe. But they'd been out of contact for years. It would be incredibly strange to call her up in the middle of the night. Which left... Lucy.

Lois sighed, and reached for the phone. Lucy was in California right now, at school. It was sometime past eleven o'clock Lucy's time, and knowing her sister's propensities for wild, late-night parties, she'd still be up. What had the world come to that she was asking _Lucy_ for advice about guys? She, Lois, was supposed to be the smart, responsible one.

Lucy picked up on the third ring. "Hello?" "Lucy, I know it's late to be calling you, but I--" "Lois? Oh, don't worry about it, I just got home. Jared was having a few people over..." Lucy launched into an account of her evening.

"That's great, Lu, it really is. Look, I called you for a reason..." Lois trailed off, wondering how to put this. "Okay, shoot. What's the reason." Lois sighed. "Lucy, did you happen to see that piece in the Planet that Clark and I wrote a few weeks ago? About the pheromone-laced perfume?" "Oh yeah, the one that made people fall in love? That was really neat. You wouldn't happen to have a little stash of that somewhere, would you?"

"No, I don't, Lucy. But it won't work without some kind of attraction factor there, anyway. When I was under the influence of that stuff... Lu, you know I've been crazy about Superman since he showed up in Metropolis." Lucy muttered something under her breath. "What was that?" Lois asked suspiciously. "Nothing. Just... I know." "Well, when I got sprayed with the pheromone compound, that means I should have fallen for him, right?" "Sure, Lois. Look, if you managed to embarrass yourself in front of your dream guy... I don't have a lot of sympathy for you except to say 'Welcome to my life'."

"No, no, that's not it at all. It's that... I didn't go for Superman. I went after... Clark. I blew off Lex Luthor, and Superman didn't cross my mind at all the whole time I was affected. And now that I have to admit that I'm attracted to Clark... Well, he and Superman have been playing this eternal tug-of-war in my head. And Lucy, I'm just so damn confused," Lois said, trying (and failing miserably), to hide the desperation in her voice.

Lucy sighed. "Lois, it's not uncommon to have feelings for two people at the same time. Alright, the doctor is in. Tell me what attracts you to Superman in the first place. I mean, honestly, the guy seems kind of distant to me."

Lois pondered Lucy's question. "He's honest, and genuine, and kind... he's the single most gentle person I've ever met..." she trailed away. "And he's got all the amazing powers, right? That's got to be part of it," Lucy prompted. Lois didn't even deem that worthy of a reply.

Lucy continued. "Now, I met Clark when I was staying with you, just after he started at the Daily Planet. He seems like a really nice guy. He's honest, you know? Not like a couple of other train-wrecks you've dated--" "Look who's talking, Miss I-Can't-Date-Someone-Without-A-Rap-Sheet--" Lois began, but Lucy plowed on over her.

"I've never met Superman, but I've seen him on the news. I've read articles about him- mostly yours and Clark's- and honestly, all the things that attract you to him- the kindness, the gentleness... it all applies to Clark, too. I won't pretend to know either of them as well as you do, but it seems like they're both very similar people." Lois opened her mouth to protest that, but suddenly found that it was true.

"Lois, I can't help you with this. It's your life, your choice. But I can tell you this from personal experience- flash and glamour aren't everything. Sometimes it's the ordinary guys that prove to be the best." Lois was silent for a moment, then stuttered out, "Thanks, Lucy. I guess I should probably let you get on with... whatever." "Bye, sis."

Lois hung up the phone, and a single tear traced her cheek. She stood up and wandered around the room. Now that the conversation was over, she realized that she hadn't been after advice. She'd wanted confirmation that it was okay to love Superman, that she wasn't being selfish, wanting him all for herself. Instead, she'd gotten completely the reverse.

She found herself standing by the window. She pulled away the gossamer curtains aside, glancing out, hoping to see the superhero outside, waiting for her. It was a vain hope. She did catch a glimpse of a flash of color in the sky above, but it was most likely just an airplane's lights.

Then her eyes were drawn to the lights across the street, and what she saw shocked her out of her self-pity. That was Congressman Harrington, wasn't it? The file he held was marked 'Top Secret', in red letters. And there were two people in the room with him.

Reaching for her camera, Lois began snapping pictures...


	2. Falling For Him

"Wait, did you say me... and _Clark_?" Lois asked incredulously. She was on the cusp of something _huge_! There was a congressman selling off top secret information! This could be a story worth a Pulitzer, and Perry was forcing her to work with Clark on this? Was he insane?

"I definitely heard 'Clark'," the man himself said, smiling. "Yeah, he said Clark," Jimmy piped up. "Lois, think about this, how are you going to conduct round the clock surveillance all by yourself?" Perry pointed out. "And, do you really think the hotel's going to just stand still while we're doing a full-scale spying operation? What better cover than honeymooners in the honeymoon suite? Take it or leave it."

God, she hated it when they used logic on her. It was so... underhanded. "I'll take it," she sighed.

Clark smiled at her cheekily. He was so cute... but also incredibly frustrating, especially when he had won yet another round in their eternal game of verbal judo. 'It'll be business, Lois, strictly business," he said firmly. Then, with teasing eyes in his otherwise serious face, he said, "But no funny stuff!"

Lois opened her mouth to get right back at him with a snarky answer, but he was already gone. She narrowed her eyes. The night before, she'd been feeling quite warm toward her partner. In fact, she'd been almost willing to let the physical attraction she felt toward him to become a deeper kind of affection. But that had been before she'd remembered how damn annoying he could be.

He wanted to mess with her? Fine. He had _no_ idea what he was dealing with. Clark Kent might be able to get under her skin more easily than any man she'd ever met, but he was up against Lois Lane now. And Lois Lane had three personal mottos: Lois was_ always_ right, Lois could _always_ do it herself, and Lois Lane_ always_ won. _Always_.

Clark sighed. He hated this charade, pretending to be weak. He could have easily have lifted Lois to carry her over the threshold of the honeymoon suite. It might be nice to try and sweep her off her feet as Clark sometime. She spent so much time mooning after his alter-ego, what could it hurt? But not with the bellboy filming his every action. If Clark Kent was seen to be a little too strong...

And so he had to fake nearly dropping Lois several times, with the bellboy making snide comments the whole time. Naturally it irritated Lois. Gently, he grabbed her by the shoulders to keep her from tackling the annoying little man.

"She's just a little shy," he said, attempting to excuse her behavior. Oh, that would cost him later. But he didn't care. He had the whole weekend completely alone with Lois. Or so he thought.

First there were interruptions by Jimmy and Cat. Then with the annoying maid popping up every ten seconds to ask if they needed anything else... Clark was ready to rip his hair out. Was it too much to ask for five minutes alone with Lois?

Finally, _finally_, it seemed that there would be no more interruptions. Lois went about setting up the recording equipment. The sun had set and Lois was in her sweats. He watched her fussing with the camcorder, and wondered if he'd ever seen a woman quite like her. Certainly there were plenty of women who were more beautiful, but Lois was very beautiful in her own right, and she had something else about her that Clark just couldn't define.

She returned to fiddling with the recording device, attempting to tune into the noise coming from the offices across the street. What she got, however, was the sound of a couple fighting. She snorted, and muttered, "Relationships."

Clark couldn't help but agree with her that the argument sounded pretty ridiculous, but he also wondered if this was the real problem she had with him. He knew that she had had some very bad relationships in the past. Maybe she was... afraid. Of exactly what he heard coming through the listening device. But then... Lois, afraid? It didn't seem likely. He knew that beneath her tough exterior was a woman much softer than she'd like everyone to think, but scared really didn't seem like her. Momentary panic in the face of a life-threatening situation, perhaps, but a deep-rooted psychological fear wasn't really Lois's style.

With a sigh, he flipped the recorder off. "People are entitled to private lives and thoughts, Lois. Who are we to judge?" he said. "Clark, are you sure you're in the right profession?" Lois shot back. "We're reporters. It's our _job_ to rip away the veil of secrecy and expose the _naked_ truth." Clark rolled his eyes, trying desperately to keep his mind away from the direction the word 'naked' had sent it.

"Well, I'm going to bed. Set the recorder to voice activation and wake me when our friends across the way show up," Lois said. She stood up from her seat on the sofa, and made her way to the bedroom.

Clark couldn't resist. He would gladly let Lois take the bed, he'd give her anything she wanted, but still... it wasn't worth missing the chance to annoy her a little. "Uh, Lois, aren't you forgetting something?"

She looked at him, and again, he couldn't resist a chance. Subtle hints were his personal specialty. "Well, it is our first night here. Alone. Together." He watched that sink in. She knew what he was implying, alright. But he didn't want to lose the budding friendship between them in one moment of love-struck stupidity. "We _flip_ for the bed," he added quickly.

"How about we don't?" Lois said, a hint of relief coloring her voice. Clark smiled wryly. "How about we alternate nights?" "How about I get the bed, I _lend_ you a pillow?" Clark smiled even wider, knowing he was about to win this round- again; he doubted very many people could hold their own in a battle of words with Lois Lane. "Well it's a big bed," he said, "How about we share?"

Far too quickly, Lois replied, "Let's alternate nights!" Clark quirked his eyebrows at her. He knew she was aware of his victory, and obviously none too happy about it. She marched straight into the bedroom, and he grinned wickedly as the door shut behind her.

Several minutes later, she emerged, silk-covered pillow in hand, and gave him a sheepish grin. "Kind of forgot..." she said quietly, handing him the pillow. "Do you need a blanket? I think there might be a spare one in the bedroom." Clark nodded, and Lois disappeared again. He heard the sound of her rummaging around. She returned quickly, and handed him a blue fleece blanket. He smiled his thanks.

There was a brief awkward silence, then Lois cleared her throat and slipped away from him into the bedroom. Clark sighed. He had a feeling he might've just blown yet another shot at her.

He lay down on the couch which he quickly discovered was far too short for someone as tall as he. In an attempt to roll over, he dropped off the couch, landing with a thump. Without even thinking about it, he floated up off the floor and back onto the couch. It was a natural thing, like breathing. He smiled to himself as he settled back into position. According to his parents, he even floated in his sleep occasionally. Other people sleep-walk, I sleep-_fly_, he thought ironically.

Suddenly, his ears caught the sound of the silk bedsheets being thrown back. In an instant, he was up and listening at the door. This was wrong, he shouldn't be doing this, he shouldn't... But the sound of Lois's clothes dropping to the floor silenced that little nagging voice of his conscience.

Slipping his glasses down his nose, he peered through the door. He caught the barest glimpse of Lois's bare back before his conscience returned with a vengeance. Pushing his glasses back up his nose, he smacked himself on the forehead. What was he thinking? This wasn't right! Wasn't he the one who had just been lecturing Lois on privacy?

As he returned to his "bed", he thought how unfair it was. Lois had gotten a good long look at him mostly naked once, when he'd answered the door wearing only a towel. Wasn't there some kind of rule about fair exchange in things like this? There should be. Would it really be _so_ wrong of him to just...? No. No, that was _not_ okay, he thought firmly to himself, as he took his glasses off.

Lois sighed. She had been so preoccupied with picturing Clark's brilliant smile in her head that she nearly forgot that he would need a pillow. Picking one up, she cautiously slipped back into the main room of the suite.

Lois knew she was talking to him, but afterwards, she had no idea what she said. When she returned to the bedroom, she recalled having said something about a blanket. She looked around, momentarily panicked. This wasn't like her, to be so worked up and confused over a man, let alone one who was _just_ her friend and her partner.

Although, she mused as she searched for a blanket for Clark, that was something in and of itself. She had been partnered before. It had _always_ been temporary. None of them had been competent enough to keep up with her, and she had despised each and every one of them. Perry, she knew, had been trying to find her a permanent partner for a very long time. Looked like he'd finally succeeded in finding the one person in the entire human race that she could work with.

Finally, she was able to unearth a fleece blanket from one of the drawers, and carried it out to him. "Here," Lois said quietly, and handed it to him. Clark took it without even looking at it. He was gazing into her eyes with a look she couldn't remember having seen on his face before. Or, maybe she could...

But Lois didn't handle emotional tension well. Quickly, she made her exit. She threw herself onto the bed. How would she survive three days of this? It would be torture

She remembered now when she'd seen that look on Clark's face. It had been back when he'd first started at the Planet. He had brought her some fabulous Chinese food, and read her fortune when she discovered that it was in Chinese. She'd called him strange, and he'd simply sat back and said, "Oh really?" That was the moment she'd seen the look on his face. It was almost... worshipful.

At the time, she'd blown him off, dismissed him. After all, he had just been the hack from Smallville Perry was forcing her to work with. But Lois was quickly realizing that there was much more to Clark Kent than she'd ever expected. Perhaps it had been a mistake to tell him to forget it... Perhaps.

Suddenly, Lois heard a thump in the other room. What had happened? She made her way to the door. Maybe Clark had fallen off the couch? She was tempted to open it to ask if he was alright. A hint of guilt soured her stomach. He was so tall, and the couch was pretty tiny... It had been unfair to force him to sleep out there.

With a sigh, Lois turned away from the door. Pull yourself together, Lane, she thought wearily to herself. It was just Clark Kent. Nothing special, just a farmboy. Or not, said the treacherous little voice in the back of her head.

She threw the sheets back, and began to undress. Again, something in the back of her head nagged at her, forcing her to ask herself what the hell she was doing. She sometimes slept naked... when she was completely alone. Even when Lucy was staying over, Lois was completely clothed, and Lu was her _sister_, for god's sake! With Clark Kent in the next room, this was _insane_!

She settled herself onto the bed, pulling the silk sheet up to her chin. She closed her eyes, and a faint smile curved her lips... "Goodnight, Lois!" Her eyes popped open, and she groaned softly. Dammit, she thought, leave it to Clark Kent to say something to annoy her at just the wrong moment. "Goodnight!" he called again. And again. Finally, she called back, "Goodnight, Clark."

What a jerk he could be. She'd been feeling all warm and fuzzy towards Clark for a few minutes there, and then he had to start talking and remind her that he was... well... Clark. But, she thought, he was pretty damn hot...

A Note From Lara: As you can see, I'm trying to stay pretty close to the actual story, with a few major modifications...

As always, reviews are appreciated. (Hint, hint hint!!)


	3. First Kiss

A Note From Lara: Just for those of you who are wondering, I'm going to remind you that I'm

skipping over most of the stuff about Rorck and Harrington. If I were telling a different kind of story, I'd include it. However, this story doesn't require that kind of stuff, so... Also, I should probably let you know that the POV changes _a_ _lot_ in this chapter, so much so that it isn't really plausible to put page breaks in every time. Just be aware that it may change from paragraph to paragraph.

"_A good reader is one who leaves reviews."_

-Anonymous (AKA: Me)

Lois peered out the window, staring through her binoculars at the offices across the street. She growled softly, impatient.

"Forget it, Lois. They're not supposed to be back until tomorrow night! It won't do you any good to keep glaring a hole in the glass," Clark said from behind her. She turned deliberately around to inflict the window-melting stare on him.

Clark simply grinned cheekily at her and she felt the harsh look slide off her face despite her best efforts. "Monopoly?" he suggested, picking up the box. "Clark, we're here--" "To work, not play games, I know. You said as much last night. But nobody's coming tonight. Tomorrow night it's all business, but right now..." "Fine."

Lois bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. What Clark didn't know was that she was fantastic at Monopoly. "I'm banker," she said, flopping down on the carpet next to him.

Over the course of two hours, she proceeded to beat him soundly at Monopoly, gin, and checkers. But now they were playing a trivia game, and she was stumped. She hadn't seen _The Nutty Professor_ in ages. "I..." She broke off. This was hard to say; it went completely against her nature. "I... don't know," she sighed.

Clark opened his eyes wide in mock surprise. "You don't know? What? Okay, who are you and what have you done with my partner?" Lois crossed her arms, cocked her head, and glared at him. "Okay, okay!" he said, raising his hands in surrender.

"Look, we've messed around long enough. We may as well set up the telescope," Lois said firmly, and turned away. The way he joked with her had set her stomach to doing backflips. It was definitely time to get a handle on herself before she said something rash.

"Winning and losing is not the sole object, Lois," Clark said as he adjusted the eyepiece of the telescope. The disagreement had not stopped when the trivia game had.

"Well then I win, you lose, we're both happy," Lois shot back sourly. Clark was not making this easy for her. Didn't he know that with every remark he intended to be cutting, she slid a little farther down the slippery slope into admitting how crazy she was for him? But that was a stupid thought. She did _not_ have those kinds of feelings for Clark! Did she? No, she told herself firmly. She did not.

Suddenly she saw Clark stiffen. In an instant, he had folded up the tripod the telescope rested on and hefted it onto the bed. "Clark, are you crazy?" she shouted. That was a _very_ expensive piece of equipment!

But now Clark had seized her shoulders and forced her back onto the bed. "What are you--?" she managed to gasp before his lips covered hers.

Lois could hear the maid humming to herself now, but didn't connect it to the situation. All she could think of was Clark. She had kissed him once before, but he had been too surprised then to reciprocate. Now he was truly kissing her, and she was more than willing to kiss him back.

Her head went spinning off into some other place, and she could actually feel her heart accelerate. She'd been so stupid to resist her feelings for Clark. Sure, her experiences with men had been less than glowing before, but Clark was so different than any other guy she'd fallen for. She knew what she wanted.

The door opened, the woman on the other side caught sight of the couple kissing passionately, and quickly ducked out again. Clark sighed softly and pulled back. He wanted nothing more in the world than to simply continue kissing the incredible woman next to him, but Lois would never let him forget it if he kept her lips prisoner longer than absolutely necessary. Oh well. It had been good while he'd had it, he thought. But then suddenly he felt a hand twine through his hair and force his mouth back down to Lois's.

Lois smiled at the momentary shock she saw in Clark's eyes as she pulled him back into the kiss. She hoped he wouldn't be angry later, but now it was too late to think about that. And then suddenly it was too late to think at all. Clark Kent was by far the best kisser she'd ever met. He responded to her with such enthusiasm that she completely forgot her fears, forgot the situation, and lost all sense of control.

She was vaguely aware that that should have frightened her. Lois Lane loved being in control. But suddenly she didn't care. What did it matter that she wasn't micromanaging this the way she did everything else? Clark could take care of that for a little while...

But then he broke the kiss. He stood up quickly and stepped away from her. Lois's heart plummeted. Had she done something wrong? "The fax..." he gasped, clearly out of breath. Oh. She sighed softly. She was going to skin alive whoever had picked that particular moment to fax them.

Five minutes later, they were sitting at opposite ends of the couch, each pretending to be occupied with the list of votes Congressman Harrington's committee had taken recently. Lois kept peeking across at Clark, but every time she glanced at him, he appeared completely absorbed in his study of the list. She didn't know it, of course, but he was sneaking glances at her every few seconds as well.

Finally, he couldn't take it any more, and looked at her directly. "So," he said in frustration, "Are we going to talk about it?"

Lois felt her heart drop. She didn't _want_ to talk about it. This was more than guaranteed to get awkward, and she just couldn't stand that kind of tension. "Do we have to?" she mumbled.

"I've never been a big fan of just sitting back and hoping that the air clears by itself," Clark said. She nodded, but he could see how uncomfortable this was for her. The reasons for her discomfiture, he could only guess at, but he was determined to get this talked through as quickly as possible for her sake.

"So... you kissed me," Lois said. Clark nodded. "I heard the maid coming, and I just..." he trailed away. "And then you kissed me." Lois nodded, and took a deep breath. This was it- all or nothing.

"Clark, I suppose some girls would say 'I'm sorry' right now, for making you uncomfortable or something. But I won't, because I'm not. Sorry, I mean." She saw Clark's eyebrows draw together in confusion. "What I'm trying to say is--" Lois broke off. That line was _so_ cliched.

"You're not like any other guy I've ever met. You're honest and sensitive and just... Clark. I've always looked for flash and glamour in men, I guess, and I'm just sick of it. So I'm going to stop fighting with myself, and stop denying it. I think I'm falling in love with you."

A million emotions, a million thoughts flashed through Clark's head as she spoke. When she stopped speaking, he barely even noticed. Her final statement was seared into his mind like a lightning strike. It wasn't what he'd expected at all. A lecture, yes. A let's-forget-this-ever-happened kind of pronouncement, probably. But this? He'd never have guessed it was coming in a thousand years.

Now his dilemma was how to respond. If he told her the truth, if he explained the depth of his feelings, would it scare her off? He knew some of Lois's experience with other men. It had made her nervous about relationships. But then, if he responded too neutrally, she might be disappointed. Perhaps she'd be convinced that he didn't feel strongly enough to make an attempt at a relationship worth it. What was he supposed to say?

But he'd waited too long to say something. Lois stood up furiously, hissed, "Oh, I _knew_ this was a bad idea!" and dashed into the bedroom. The door slammed behind her, and Clark sat there for a moment, shock and confusion etched in every line of his face.

Lois threw herself face down on the bed, and buried her face as deep into the pillow as she could. She'd seen the emotions flitting across Clark's face; the surprise, perhaps a flash of happiness. But then a look of indecision came into his eyes, and she had known she'd made a mistake. He didn't feel the same way. She'd just bared her soul to him, and he didn't feel the same way. At the thought, she felt tears prick in her eyes.

How could she have been so stupid? One kiss didn't mean anything. She should know that by now. In fact, a man could take a lot more from you, and to them it might not mean a thing. She'd experienced that firsthand. What was wrong with her that she'd forgotten?

When this investigation was over, she'd ask Perry for a new partner. She couldn't keep working with Clark, not after this. She just couldn't--

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Clark?" she asked, without looking up. "Lois? I just... what did I do wrong? I don't understand."

She smiled bitterly into the pillow. That was just so... Clark... of him. Asking what _he'd_ done wrong when it was so obviously her who had made the mistake.

"You didn't do anything, Clark. I'm the one who should know when to just shut up." She sat up, but didn't look at him. The concerned look she just _knew_ would be on his face would probably make her burst into tears.

"What do you mean?" he said softly. "You didn't... you didn't say anything. Clearly you don't feel the same way. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..." Lois couldn't help it; she turned to face him. Then she was horrified to realize that she couldn't start crying, because she already _had_.

And before she knew what was happening, Clark had pulled her into his arms and was stroking her hair. "Lois," he whispered, "I didn't say anything because I didn't know what to say. Not because I don't feel the same way. I was absolutely terrified that if I said something I'd wake up and it would all be a dream."

"A nightmare," Lois whispered.

Clark pulled back to look directly into her tear-filled eyes. "Never a nightmare; Lois, I love you. Will you believe that? I've loved you from the moment I met you." Lois blinked. "Really?" He nodded. "It's been pretty pathetic, actually," he said with a half-smile.

Lois sighed and looked away for a moment, then fixed her gaze on his face again. "Wow. I guess I've made kind of an ass of myself, haven't I?"

Clark bit back a smile. "We'll talk more in the morning," he said. Then he stood up and walked out of the bedroom. Lois could have the bed tonight.

As he lay down on the sofa and took off his glasses, he smiled. Lois Lane was falling in love with him. _Lois Lane was falling in love with him!_ The thought was almost impossible to wrap his mind around. He'd wished for something like this to happen for nearly six months now. Vaguely he wondered if it was possible for him to explode from joy...

Lois curled up on the bed, not even bothering to change into her pajamas. The thoughts spinning through her head were almost too confused to sort through. She had fallen hard for her partner... but then, so had he. If she'd heard him right, he'd been in love with her for some time. It was hard to comprehend.

Lucy loved romance novels, and occasionally Lois had picked one up in an attempt to figure out what interested her so much. She'd never been able to get past the parts where the heroine was completely swept off her feet. It had always seemed overdone, and far too sappy. But now it seemed just barely adequate to put words to the whirl of emotions she felt.


	4. MidMorning Confession

Clark opened his eyes, waking early as usual. For a moment, he didn't remember why he was feeling so cheerful. Then the events of the night before washed over him. Lois felt the same way. She thought of him as more than just a friend, too. He grinned.

He almost got up, but decided that he was just too comfortable to move. He drifted back into sleep...

Lois couldn't quite take it in- Clark Kent, her best friend, her partner, had been in love with her all this time. How had she not realized it? How had she not seen it? Where had her reporter instincts been for the past seven months?

She thought back to the night before, to the look in his eyes when he'd told her how he felt, and smiled. Clark was just too damn handsome for his own good- or, more accurately, for _her_ own good. Just picturing his nervous farmboy smile, she felt her heart speed up. _Get a grip on yourself, Lane_, she thought firmly. Just because Clark felt the same way about her didn't mean that she had to go all sappy-romantic about it!

Lois wanted nothing more than to stay in bed. She wasn't exactly what you'd call a morning person. But she couldn't resist seeing Clark any longer- God, what was wrong with her?- and besides, he'd probably ordered coffee again, and the idea of a steaming cup of java was too tempting. She sat up...

As he dragged himself back to consciousness, smiling as he did so, Clark wondered how much longer he'd been asleep.

He opened his eyese, and saw Lois sitting on the coffee table next to him, a stunned expression on her face. For a moment, he wondered what had caused it. Then sudden realization hit him, and his hand flew to his face. He was not wearing his glasses.

Lois glared at him. The swirl of emotions was simply too much to deal with, but it should never be said that Lois Lane shirked a challenge. For too long, she'd been running away from her feelings. Well, no more. She would figure this out. And then she'd kick Clark Kent's miserable ass.

She was angry- angry that he'd deceived her, lied to her. And of course, there was a hint of shell-shocked joy; she didn't even have to choose between Clark and Superman! But it was all overshadowed by blinding humiliation. She didn't know where it came from, but there was a feeling that she'd somehow been duped, that someone somewhere was laughing at how easily she'd been fooled.

"Lois, I--" Clark said, horror and apology written all over his face. But she cut him off. Of all the tangled emotions she was experiencing, anger was the most familiar and the easiest to deal with. She would start with that. "No, Clark. I don't want you to say anything. I am going to ask you a question and you are going to answer, got it?"

He nodded, and she said, simply, "Why?" His eyebrows drew together in confusion. "Why what?" he asked. "Why did you lie to me, _Superman_?" she asked cuttingly.

Clark sighed and looked away. "Lois, please don't call me that. Superman isn't who I am. I mean, in a way, he- I- oh dammit, I don't even know how to put this. It makes sense in my head, but I don't think I can really put the distinction into words..."

"Just answer the question, Clark."

"Alright. At first, I didn't tell you, because, honestly, you were a total stranger. And more than that, you were a reporter. How would I even bring it up? Hi, Lois. You barely know me but you hate my guts. I'm an alien," Clark said, bitter irony coloring his voice.

"Point taken. And later? Once you'd revealed yourself as Superman?"

"Later..." Clark sighed, and smiled sadly. "I hated lying to you. Every time I had to come up with some stupid explanation, it was like someone was stabbing me over and over again. But these past few months, you've been so obsessed with my alter ego... God, this is going to sound so stupid--"

"Just spit it out, Clark."

"I guess I thought that if you found out I was Superman, you'd be so distracted by the fancy powers, by the Suit, you'd never see the man beneath. That you'd never see me. See, Lois, Superman is just this... mask. Not a real person, just a way to use what I've been given to do some good in the world. Clark is who I really am. And call me crazy, but I wanted you to love me for _me_, not some ideal in a flashy suit."

Lois was shocked. It wasn't what she'd expected at all. Actually, she had no idea what she'd been expecting, she only knew that it wasn't this. The look of open longing on Clark's face cut her to the core. She couldn't hold onto her anger, much though she wanted too. Her tone, previously harsh, softened as she continued.

"Well, I guess you got your wish, more or less. Or have you forgotten what I said last night?" she said, smiling slightly.

She watched Clark's face carefully as she finished speaking. She saw confusion, and then a tentative flicker of hope.

"You mean... you don't hate me for deceiving you?" he asked hesitantly. She shook her head. "What have I ever done to deserve someone like you in my life?" he said, wonderingly.

Lois smiled. "I think maybe saving the world a couple times had something to do with it. You know, for somebody who can lift a rocketship into orbit with his bare hands, you have remarkably low self-esteem."

"So you're... okay with this? The alien thing, I mean?" Clark asked. Lois nodded. "Did you actually think I would?" She paused, and when he didn't answer, she continued. "I just have one question."

"Only one?" Clark asked with feigned innocence, his good humor returning to him quickly. "Very funny, Kent. But what I want to know is, well... the assumption was that Superman came to Earth not long before he debuted at the Prometheus launch. But that's not the case, is it?"

Clark fiddled with the glasses he had yet to put on, then said, "No. My parents, the Kents, found my spaceship in a field when I was just a baby. They raised me. When I started developing powers, they explained how they'd found me. We never knew what I was until recently. When we were snooping around in that warehouse on Bessolo Boulevard, I found my ship. There was a globe in it... it told me I'm from the planet Krypton. That's all I know."

He sighed and looked away. Lois almost wanted to cry for him. Most of his life he'd gone through this alone, not knowing who he was, what he was.

There was a brief, awkward silence. Then Lois asked, softly, "So what do we do now?" Clark slipped his glasses on and glanced at his watch. "Well, these weirdos across the street won't be back until late tonight, and Perry doesn't expect us back at the office until three. It's almost ten thirty now. What do you say we go somewhere for an early lunch?"

Lois grinned. "Sounds great. Just let me go get dressed." She stood up and slipped away into the bedroom.

A few minutes later, she emerged, fully clothed, to see Clark holding out her winter coat. She wondered where it had come from; she hadn't brought it to the hotel with her. Then she wanted to smack herself. He was _Superman_, duh!

"Clark, I know it's November, but it's unseasonably warm. I don't think I'm going to be needing that," she said, indicating the coat.

Clark smiled mischievously, and Lois felt her heart do little backflips. "Well, I just figured we could... well, you've always said you wanted me to show you where I get all the great takeout. You remember the German food I brought you a few weeks back?"

Lois blinked, and several more puzzle pieces fell into place. "Oh my god," she whispered. Clark bit his lip. "I know a great little place in Munich... But if you'd rather go somewhere else, we could--"

"No, no Clark, that's fine!" she interrupted, walking over to where he stood by the window and taking the coat from his hands. Everything felt so surreal... this couldn't possibly be happening.

But as Clark gathered her in his arms and leaped out the window, not even bothering to change into the Suit, she decided she didn't care. If it was a dream, it was a good dream. If it wasn't a dream...

Somehow, she didn't think it was. Usually her dreams weren't this nice. She glanced down and saw that they were already over the Metropolis harbor. Then she looked up at Clark, and twined her arms around his neck. No, this definitely wasn't a dream.

A Note From Lara: Okay, so they're off to Germany. I should probably explain why I chose Munich of all places. From the American viewpoint at least, it's not the most romantic city. However, I have three reasons for picking that city. #1: I've been there and I'm very familiar with the city. #2: It actually is a rather romantic city, especially in the wintertime. It just doesn't have a reputation for it. #3: November in Munich is very, VERY cold. Cold weather opens up many possibilities, romantically speaking... 'nuff said. So, tell me what you think! (hint hint hint!!)


	5. Lunch in Munich

A Note From Lara: Once again, the POV changes randomly in here. Most of it is Lois's POV, but occasionally it does chance to Clark. Just be aware of that.

Lois leaned into Clark's chest as they soared over the Atlantic. The air up here was cold, and they were flying so _fast_. She'd never actually just _flown_ with him before. Usually when they flew together, he'd just pulled off a dramatic rescue. She hadn't realized the true extent of this power of flight until now.

She looked up at him, and saw that he was watching her. "What are you looking at?" she asked.

He smiled self-consciously. "Honestly? I just keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. You've handled this whole mess so much better than I would have expected. When I woke up and realized you'd figured it out, I didn't expect you to leave me alive."

Lois smiled. "Nice to know I can hold my own with the greatest man in the world," she said sardonically.

"You're a formidable woman, Lois Lane. But I'm not anything special," Clark said. Lois raised her chin and folded her arms. "Yes, you are, Clark."

Clark sighed. This was what he'd been afraid of. Now that she knew, she was focusing on the powers, the alien part of him. "Superpowers don't make a man great, Lois."

Lois's eyebrows drew together in confusion. "Did you think that's what I meant? If bullets didn't bounce off you, if you were every bit as earthbound as me, you'd still be a better man than anyone I know. You're so kind, you just care about everybody so much... that's rare. I call you a boy scout, but honestly, it's one of the things I love most about you."

If Lois had had any doubts about how Clark felt about her, the look of radiant joy on his face as she said those words would have completely erased them.

As they approached Germany, Clark asked hesitantly, "So... are we good?" Lois smiled. "Of course," she said. After a brief silence, during which they touched down in an alley in Munich's Old Town, she mused, "You know, I should have known you were something special when I kept working with you once Perry had partnered us."

"What do you mean?" Clark asked. "Well, I've never actually worked with any other reporter on more than one story. Making us permanent partners was a huge gamble on Perry's part. Everyone else he's tried to partner me with quit their job after two weeks," Lois said with a smile.

Clark chuckled, and Lois felt a faint thrill run through her. "So... where to now?" she asked, slightly breathless. Clark checked his watch, quickly calculating to make up for the time difference.

"Well, the restaurant I had in mind won't open for dinner for another few minutes. Do you want to just walk around, see a little of the city?" he suggested. Lois nodded.

As they emerged from the alley, Lois saw that there was easily six inches of snow on the ground. "Wow," she said softly. She turned to Clark. "It won't snow in Metropolis for a few weeks yet." He grinned at her. "That's the beauty of being able to fly. You want to go skiing in July, the Alps are only a few minutes away. You get tired of gray weather in February, Morocco's easily accessible. Or Hawaii."

Lois shook her head in wonder. This was so impossible- a strange situation she didn't know how to deal with. Some part of her was aware that she should be freaking out, should be angry or... something... but she just couldn't bring herself to be anything but blissfully happy.

They wandered through Old Town for some fifteen minutes. Every so often, Clark would point out some interesting sight. Eventually, after a long detour down a side street, they came to a park. Though the trees were leafless, it was still beautiful, blanketed in white with icicles hanging from the wrought iron fence surrounding the open area.

Clark pushed open the gate, and they walked together through the park.

They walked for a few minutes in companionable silence, but eventually Lois, reporter that she was, couldn't contain her questions any longer. "So... Clark, I've been wondering. Why exactly did you... become Superman? I mean, you could've just as easily let the world figure out it's own problems."

Clark sighed. "Ever since I started developing powers, I've kind of been doing... things... on the side. I was always careful not to let anyone see me. And during my travels, that was why I had to keep moving. Something would always happen, I'd do something a little too obvious to save a life, and I'd have to leave quickly, before people got suspicious. Then I came to Metropolis, and I..." he hesitated. After a moment, he continued. "I realized that I didn't want to have to leave. Metropolis was the one place I couldn't just pack up and move on from. I knew I'd have to find a way to stay. Then one morning, you said something about bringing a change of clothes to work, and it got me thinking."

Clark turned to look at her. Her cheeks were flushed with the cold, and her hair was mussed from their flight across the Atlantic. Her mouth was a little 'O' of surprise, and her eyes betrayed a hint of childlike delight. He wondered if he'd ever seen anything so beautiful.

"You mean, _I_ gave you the idea to--?" Lois said, stunned. Clark nodded. Lois bit her lip, trying to control her laughter. "You know, I don't think, when I said that, I really had a spandex body suit in mind."

Clark smiled. "Blame my mother for that," he said. "It was _her_ idea to use spandex. I was all for making like Zorro, but she said people would never trust a masked vigilante."

Lois smiled up at him, and slipped her hand into his. She heard his sharp intake of breath as he stopped suddenly and turned to face her.

"Your hands are freezing," he said, concerned. Quickly, he took her cold hands in both of his to warm them. As he did so, their eyes met.

Lois was completely and utterly unprepared for the rush of heat that flooded every inch of her body when she met Clark's dark-eyed gaze. She felt entirely out of her depth, which wasn't something she was used to. But somehow, it didn't bother her.

"W-why Metropolis?" she asked shakily. "You said it was the one place you couldn't just pack up and split when someone got too close to your secret. What was so special about Metropolis that you didn't want to leave?"

"Metropolis has you," he said softly, holding her gaze. "I'd always been fascinated by the city, but as I was doing my interview with Perry, this... this force of nature came bursting into the room."

Lois stood up on her toes, and pressed her lips firmly to Clark's before he could get another word out. He stiffened briefly in surprise, then responded to her kiss enthusiastically. Lois worked her hands out of his grip in order to wrap her arms around his neck. Time seemed to have decided to take a coffee break, and Lois completely lost herself in the kiss.

The feeling of Clark's lips on hers was like a bolt of lightning shooting through every inch of Lois's body. It made their kiss the night before seem like nothing in comparison. Lois moaned softly as Clark pulled her closer to him, his hands firm on her back.

After who knew how long, they finally came up for air. "You know," Lois gasped, "I really do think I love you." "Good," Clark said, his voice husky. "Me too." And with that, Lois seized his hair and dragged him back into her embrace.

Some time later, Clark struggled to free his mouth. "We should probably head to the restaurant," he murmured regretfully. "Yeah," Lois whispered.

Smiling playfully, she seized Clark's arm and yanked it over her shoulder. He grinned at her, and pulled her closer to him as they ambled back through the park and down the road.

Clark led her down a side street, and directly into a bright little alehouse. "Clark Kent!" cried a young man whose dark hair was tied back in a short cue. "Johann," Clark said jovially.

"Clark, it's been too long. I haven't seen you for nearly three weeks!" Glancing around and smiling conspiratorially, Clark replied, "Well, usually I _am_ rather too busy to just pop over here." "Ah, my friend," said Johann, "You and I both know that the flight takes you less than five minutes. A lack of free time is no excuse."

He shrugged. "Lois, this is my friend Johann Berjik. His parents own this restaurant. We met a few years ago during his disastrous attempt at skydiving." Lois nodded in understanding.

"And this must be the lovely Lois Lane," Johann said, kissing her hand. "You are twice as beautiful as my bumbling friend here has described."

Lois smiled. "Thank you."

"Well, Clark, I assume you will be wanting the usual table?" Johann asked. Clark nodded, and the young man led them to a table in the far corner of the busy establishment. He handed them a pair of menus, and with a wink at Clark, disappeared into the kitchen.

"You talked about me?" Lois asked the moment he was out of earshot. Clark nodded sheepishly. "I may have mentioned you once. Or twice." Lois raised her eyebrows. "Or every time I came over here."

Suddenly, Johann reappeared at their table, a small pad of waiter's checks in his hand. "Lately, Miss Lane, 'every time he comes over here' is turning into 'when Lois Lane wants good takeout'." Lois chuckled, and Clark sat back in his seat and groaned.

"Thanks, Johann," he muttered. "Now I'm not only the spandex-clad alien, but the creepy obsessive coworker." Lois choked, trying to contain her laughter.

Two hours later, they had finally finished their delicious meal, and took their leave of Johann's cheery company. "It's snowing!" Lois exclaimed as they exited the restaurant.

Clark smiled at her. "Beautiful, isn't it?" he asked softly. She nodded, but somehow had a feeling he wasn't talking about the same thing she was.

"Well, given the time difference, it's nearly time for us to be at the Daily Planet for Perry's little brainstorming session. We should probably get going," she said. Clark nodded. They ducked into an alley, and he gathered Lois into his arms. With a rush of speed, they were off.


	6. Happy Ending

Lois and Clark exited the elevators, entering the half-empty bullpen. Lois had ditched her coat on the roof of the Planet, to be retrieved later. She glanced up at Clark, and grinned as she met his eyes. Even in his best imitation of a platonic smile, she caught an intensity in his gaze that took her breath away.

She tried to pull herself together. Just because the mere sight of him sent her heart racing, didn't mean that she wasn't still strong, feminist Lois Lane. She shook her head slightly.

"Lane! Kent!" yelled Perry White from the conference room across the newsroom. The pair started, and made their way to where he was standing.

"Hey you two," he barked as they drew near. "Now, I could be mistaken, but did I not say to be here at three o'clock?" They nodded in synchronization. "And can you tell me what time it is now?"

"Ten past," Clark said sheepishly. Lois tried to hide her grin. He'd taken his sweet time crossing the Atlantic.

"That's right. And ten past three is not three o'clock. Now that you're here, is there a chance we could start this meeting?" Perry said in his best 'mean guy' deadly calm voice. Lois nodded, and brushed past him to take her seat in the conference room.

To Lois, the meeting dragged interminably. She gave her report on what information she and Clark had gathered through their surveillance, and then it was mostly a lot of theorizing. Nothing struck her as likely.

She found herself glancing at Clark every few seconds. He was like a lodestone, drawing her eyes back to him constantly. She was completely unable to focus on what Catherine Grant was saying about the Congressman.

Every time she met his eyes, she found herself suppressing a schoolgirl-esque grin. He, however, had no such compunctions. When he looked at her, his entire face lit up, making it that much harder to keep from surrendering to her own silliness. Finally she surrendered and smiled happily across the table at him.

Finally, the meeting concluded. Perry left to call his 'Ultimate Source', and Lois and Clark left the conference room to return to the hotel.

Cat Grant and Jimmy Olsen were the only two left in the room. Moving as one, they stood and went to the glass doors and peered out, staring at the receding backs of their colleagues.

"What's going on with them?" Jimmy asked. "Do you think they... you know...?"

Cat snorted. "Not a chance. If they'd been doing _that_, Clark would be smirking all over the place. He wouldn't have that sappy, adoring look... Nah. This is something else." She sighed resignedly. Why did all the men actually worth having go for other women? "I think he finally told her how completely crazy he is for her."

"What do you mean?" Jimmy asked, clueless as always.

Cat chuckled at the young photographer's naivete. "Oh come on, don't tell me you haven't noticed. It's a miracle he actually gets his job done, he spends so much time staring at her. My guess is she isn't really as indifferent as we- well, _I_, since you seem to be clueless- thought she was."

Jimmy grinned suddenly. It was simply brilliant- Lois and Clark. Cat was right, how hadn't he seen it before? He remembered all the times he'd seen them working together... and he _could_ recall a time or two when he'd been shocked by the look of open worship on Clark's face as he watched her. "Well way to go, Clark!" he muttered under his breath.

"Are you kidding?" Cat snorted. "Lois is the lucky one!"

"Well now, just a minute--!"

_Six months later..._

Lois smiled. Once again, this amazing man had snatched her from the jaws of gun-wielding death. She grinned up at Clark. "Nice save. Thanks," she said, attempting to downplay the fact that her heart was pounding so hard she could hardly breath around it. Not that it would do any good- he already knew _exactly_ how his proximity affected her, something that pleased him to no end.

But today, something was wrong. As they landed gently on the roof of the Daily Planet, Clark's face was stony and concerned. "What's the matter?" she asked as her feet hit the stone roof.

Clark sighed, running his hands through his hair. "You have no idea how terrified I am every time you get into one of these jams, do you?" he asked. Lois's eyebrows furrowed. What was he talking about?

"Lois, if I had been even a nanosecond slower, you'd be dead. That bullet had actually touched your skin by the time I got there. It's surprising you're not bruised." He took her face in his hands, gently brushing his fingers across her cheek, as if reassuring himself that she was still whole. She opened her mouth to assure him that she was just _fine_ thank you, but he shushed her.

"Just a minute, Lois. I have to say this." He took a deep breath, and she saw the worry in his eyes. "The whole time I was reaching to knock the bullet away, I was thinking 'this is it, this is the one time I won't get there in time. This is the time I lose her'. And I realized that I couldn't bear that. I couldn't see life without you." All at once, he took his hands away from her as though he'd been burned.

He flickered. Lois realized that he'd run off somewhere and come back faster than her eyes could register. But now he was in civilian clothes, without his glasses. "Lois, I've been in love with you since the moment I met you. These past months, ever since you discovered my secret, have been absolute bliss. But I realized today how much I really do love you. Losing you would be..." He shuddered, unable to express the horror he could barely envisage.

"I don't want to leave things so much to chance any more," Clark said firmly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. He dropped down on one knee. Her breath caught as she realized what he was doing. "Lois Lane, will you marry me?"

Lois stared at the ring the box contained, very simple, but so beautiful. She could hardly breathe. She'd wanted this for months now, but all her insecurities rose up to choke her. They'd known each other only nine months... So many hasty marriages failed nowadays... Every relationship she'd ever had ended in disaster...

She raised her eyes from the ring, completely unsure how to respond. There were so many things that could go wrong, so many things... She met Clark's gaze. He was staring at her with apprehension clear in his face. But there was also complete adoration there, and a devotion she'd never received from anyone. And suddenly, she knew what she was going to say.

"Yes. Yes, Clark. I will marry you," she said softly. Pure joy flooded his expression, and all at once, Lois had never been so sure of anything in her life. Maybe life would throw them a curve ball, she thought as he slipped the ring on her finger. Well, let it.

As Clark stood up, she seized him and pulled him into a passionate kiss. The whole world could go straight to hell, she was sure, and somehow they would come out okay. Life was unpredictable, life was frightening, sure. But one thing she knew for sure, was that she would always have Clark Kent. Her farmboy. Her superhero. Everything.

"I love you," she whispered, breaking her lips away from his for a moment. He smiled, and responded in a way that did not require words.

**A Note From Lara: Thanks to all my readers, you really made this possible. Maybe this ended a little abruptly, and I know there were some issues with the whole E.T. angle they had to work out that we didn't see, but that's really okay. We saw how they got past it on the show, I don't need to recite it verbatim for you. However, I hope you enjoyed the end. I was always somewhat disappointed with Clark's proposal at the end of Season Two. The reason he finally got up the guts to pop the question was solid, but I just always felt... unsatisfied. **


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